Ambassadorship is rightly a hot topic. But while Employer Value Propositions, labor market communication strategies and candidate journeys are flying around your ears, there is still very little real attention for what underlies everything above. The ambassadors themselves. You know, the gold that is in front of you every day.
In my opinion, there is no more empty slogan than ‘Make ambassadors of your employees’. Because how exactly do you do that and isn’t it a bit simplistic in these times where autonomy is the name of the game?
In this new series I therefore interview people who are involved in ambassadorship for their organization on a daily basis and ask them about what exactly is needed. These people navigate on their own between what is possible, allowed and appealing (online) or facilitate this from the business side as best as possible for their colleagues.
Based on the belief that a personal and authentic approach the only way to go is in this crowded social media landscape. Whether they are attracting new colleagues, increasing brand awareness or creating more business for their company.
The ‘man from IKEA’
When you say ambassadorship, you quickly say Rob Maas, the ‘man from IKEA’. As a recruitment specialist, the ambassador’s penny dropped at a clear moment after a particularly beautiful day at work in early 2023.
Just like ‘normally at IKEA’, everyone in the company works an extra shift during busy periods. On January 2, Rob helped out in the restaurant of the Utrecht branch, in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the Christmas holidays. Working really hard with your hairnet on and having a little party with your colleagues. At the end of that, in his own words, super fun day, Rob had a good chat with his colleague.
Gosh, what if he devoted a LinkedIn post to that instead of posting yet another job ad plus stock photo?
The first LinkedIn post
It was his first LinkedIn post that really got some traction, and he’s been taking his own personal and authentic approach online ever since.
And to say that it works is an understatement. In the year and a half since that post, his network has grown by no less than 7,500 followers, his posts have generated tens of thousands of impressions organically, he was voted the most influential corporate recruiter of 2023 and Rob has single-handedly put his employer in a wonderful spotlight.
Rob breathes IKEA and that has been clear from our first contact.
Ambassadorship at its best
On a Thursday morning at the IKEA store in Utrecht, I meet him in person for the first time, after having followed him on LinkedIn for a while. Once we shake hands, it immediately starts. A warm welcome, a tour of the office garden, ‘hi’ and ‘how are you’ to everyone we meet and a quick dive into the story behind the values and working methods of IKEA and the IKEA Foundation. This is colorfully and visually displayed on the walls. Even before we sit down to the tea and coffee, the pride and pleasure radiate from it.
As we speak to each other for the first 10 minutes, I think: “This is exactly the core of ambassadorship.” Every organization can count itself lucky if its employees receive their visitors like this. Let alone that they also know how to translate that to their online activity.
In addition to the obvious benefits that this brings to IKEA, such as a strong employer brand, a real look behind the scenes and a full view of the opportunities and possibilities within the company, told by an extremely enthusiastic employee instead of the marketing communications department, it also turns out to be interesting for Rob.
Of opportunities The benefits it brings him are many more than he could have imagined beforehand: being asked to think along with colleagues, meeting the network contacts he has made live to brainstorm, sharing his knowledge through podcasts, sessions at other organizations and these kinds of interviews, gaining inspiration from others and, above all, stepping outside his bubble and helping others to do the same. In addition to the fact that he has also become more visible internally and colleagues regularly refer to his LinkedIn posts.
Authenticity from intrinsic motivation
“So where exactly does this ambassadorship come from?” I ask Rob.
From a sincere commitment to IKEA. I want to tell and convey that and at the same time it works both ways: I am also proud to be associated with the company.
IKEA’s values and vision are very much in line with my own: creating a better existence for as many people as possible. How beautiful is that! That’s why I naturally feel like an ambassador. Sharing really comes from an intrinsic motivation. It’s not something that is necessarily part of my job description as a recruitment specialist, but I thought to myself: “I like it, I want to inspire and enthuse people, in life in general. And I’m proud of the organization and I think it’s important to convey that.”
Rob emphasizes that he speaks in a personal capacity and not on behalf of IKEA. That may be his strength. Precisely by telling the experiences and stories of colleagues and his own, the connection with IKEA is very clear, without being too obvious. A call-to-action or sharing a vacancy he doesn’t do often anymore. It’s not necessary, this indirect influence makes people think about IKEA as an employer and the repetition does its job.
That enthusiasm and inspiration is the nature of the beast. In addition to his position at IKEA, Rob is also chairman of a committee for the supervision of detainee care at the police, he regularly does volunteer work for the Salvation Army Soup Bus, he gives extra math lessons to a high school student every Saturday and he is a proud ambassador of the IKEA Foundation. With this Foundation he introduces his colleagues to projects related to poverty reduction and climate change.
Rob posts here about his volunteer work for the Salvation Army Soup Bus, a partner of IKEA
Involvement is key
Another critical factor in ambassadorship: not just talking about it, but taking action on it. In behavioral science, we call that employee engagement, key in every sustainable ambassador strategy.
Part of that involvement is personality. Not everyone has multiple volunteer jobs in addition to a full-time job and a family, and writes their LinkedIn posts on a free Sunday. You only do that if you genuinely enjoy it and see and experience the value of it (and even then it is a good idea to discuss with your manager how you can make this part of your job description).
In addition, as an organization you have a significant influence on the involvement of your people: are they happy with their work, do they experience impact, do they feel heard and seen, is there room for input (there’s that autonomy again!), do you actually use their (potential) knowledge and expertise or are they mainly allowed to implement what has already been decided?
Before you answer these questions yourself, first ask the people involved. The space that an employee does or does not experience in their role largely determines the result. And without that experienced space, there is also little input, let alone authenticity, left for ambassadorship.
Employer branding
Rob has become ‘that guy from IKEA’: he is recognized and spoken to daily about the yellow-blue giant or one of his LinkedIn posts about it. That leads to great conversations. And although that still feels a bit strange, it is also interesting to notice how visible he actually is. And Rob thinks that is an honor.
Although employer branding is not really a part of his job description, Rob does contribute enormously to it on his own. And within the IKEA organization, they are currently looking at how they can stimulate and support their employees in an active ambassador role. Rob will be able to play a major role in this, given his experience. The effect and impact are so great that you cannot achieve this organically and on your own as an organization. Not even if you are IKEA.
The power
The power of ambassadorship by your employees? That is really that low-threshold, authentic approach, the posts that tell the real story of what it is like to work for you. Even if that is not always a ‘hallelujah’ experience.
It’s all about transparency, about the space to ‘tell it like it is‘ and to get everyone’s unique insight and perspectives on the work, the function and the role that you have. Because that is a big part of the decision-making process of the candidate to apply, of the potential client to buy and of the network to spread the message. Then you speak to them from person to person.
That is exactly what Rob achieves on LinkedIn in his posts. People feel that sincerity and authenticity between the lines. Of course, it helps if you do not immediately focus on selling, because we are all gradually becoming averse to that. It helps to want to teach your audience something, to inform them or to make them think.
A unique experience shared on the spot: IKEA launched DRÖMLAND at Lowlands. An IKEA bedroom in the middle of the festival grounds where visitors could take a powernap, and Rob was there of course.
The IKEA effect
The nice thing is that there is also such a thing as behavioral science IKEA-effect (Norton, Mochon, & Ariely, 2011). Which means that you are more satisfied with what you have (partly) made yourself, because you have invested time and effort in it.
A nice bridge in this context to ambassadorship: if your employee shares something that he/she fully supports, has written or researched, then the appreciation also feels more personal. Exactly what Rob experiences!
Autonomy and practice time are the golden combination here and both can be facilitated well by the organization.
Rob’s advice for companies that want to get started with ambassadorship? Enable your people to learn how to shape their own ambassadorship and reward them for it. You will definitely encounter resistance like ‘who is waiting for what I have to say’.
Everyone experiences interesting things, they just don’t write about them.
More satisfied with what you have made yourself
According to Rob, departments such as HR, MarCom and Sales must support this enormously. Seeing and being seen, and thereby showing their appreciation, is incredibly important. This can be in the form of an online (and therefore visible) response, but also by providing training and guidance.
And besides: ambassadorship exists in different degrees. Does the employee go all in with self-written posts on a weekly basis or does someone feel more comfortable with a more supportive role through likes or comments? Both are of course okay, but it is important to discuss this with each other. What suits you and your role within the organization and what is the effect of your actions?
Or in Rob’s words: “How nice is it when you can develop yourself?”
Ambassador, that’s what you are
In short: ambassadorship doe you don’t just like that, ambassador ben is.
Want to know more about what that looks like in practice? Follow those ‘man from IKEA‘! For my next article in this series on the human side of ambassadorship, I took a look at the NS and discussed the approach of their ambassador program. To be continued!
Source: www.frankwatching.com
